On this feastday of John the Baptist we salute the monastery of Christ in the Desert. Christ in the Desert is a Roman Catholic Benedictine foundation, a member of the Subiaco Congregation of the Primitive Observance. It is located about 70 miles north of Santa Fe, New Mexico, quite literally in the middle of nowhere. The community attempts to adhere very closely to the Rule of Benedict, following a contemplative way of life with no external ministries. It does maintain a guest house which is usually quite full, as the monks' simple but intense lifestyle is very attractive to Christians and non-Christians alike. I myself have been fortunate to visit the place on several occasions. The monastery is under the patronage of John the Baptist because its founding prior, Fr Aelred Wall, entered New Mexico on this date in 1964.

The interview with Abbot Phillip will provide some insights into this monastic way of life.

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Joe Rawls

I'm an Anglican layperson with a great fondness for contemplative prayer and coffeehouses. My spirituality is shaped by Benedictine monasticism, high-church Anglicanism, and the hesychast tradition of Eastern Orthodoxy. I've been married to my wife Nancy for 38 years.